Abstract: The purpose of this project was to determine the visual compatibility
and stability of ranitidine hydrochloride in admixtures
during simulated Y-site administration with six individual
cephalosporins: ceftizoxime sodium, cefuzonam sodium, cefoperazone
sodium, cefmenoxime hydrochloride, moxalactam
disodium and flomoxef sodium.

Dilutions of ranitidine hydrochloride 1 mg (as the free
base)/mL were prepared in 0.9% sodium chloride injection. Two
milliliters of the ranitidine solution (1 mg/mL) was mixed
with 2 mL of each cephalosporin (20 mg/mL) in 10-mL glass
test tubes. Concentrations of each drug were determined by
stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic
assay methods following zero, one, two and four hours after
mixing.

All six cephalosporins retained greater than 95% of their original
concentrations for four hours in the admixture with ranitidine.
Ranitidine retained greater than 95% of its original
concentration for four hours in the admixture with four of the
tested cephalosporins and approximately 90% with moxalactam
and flomoxef.

Solutions containing ranitidine may be coadministered with
solutions of either ceftizoxime, cefuzonam, cefoperazone or cefmenoxime
via Y-injection site over four hours. While the ranitidine
concentration may be reduced to near 90% after four
hours with moxalactam and flomoxef, the tested antibiotics were
not affected in the presence of ranitidine over four hours.